Missed a couple of posts from Aquarium Drunkard and they are worth underling here . . . . . .
We know the post about legendary New Orleans piano player James Booker and loved the Lost Paramount Tapes. Booker of whom Dr John once said "the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced" is an extraordinary figure in N'Awleans history. It was back on Oct 2005 when they posted a forgotten masterpiece of Booker's from 1978 and it blew me away! Here they revisit the live set from the Montreux Jazz Festival
If you listen to one thing today . . . . . . . . .
Thanks to my early teenage fascination with Dr John and thus the maestro Professor Longhair and then Tuts Washington and Archibald hisself, my interest in Nawleans piano players is extensive and it concludes the semi-legendary Mr James Booker of whom the doctor said: “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced,”
once again the wondrous Aquarium Drunkard turns up trumps today so check this out you won't be disappointed!
. . . . . . . . then listen to this
Can't wait to get a copy of this and hope it comes out in the UK as soon as in the USofA!? Vinyl Me Please
'Tico Tico' is a standard instrumental classic like few other. A Brazilian choro song it has been covered by many and varied artists over the years but it dates from 1917. Most popular in the forties when people like The Andrews Sisters covered it . [Fess did like an Andrews Sisters song which is where he got 'Rum N Coca Cola' from] Professor Longhair could do almost schmaltzy melodies and rumba style major chord tunes like 'Crawfish Fiesta' and 'Rum & Coca Cola' but 'Tico Tico' here by Booker is a sheer delight too IMHO. Such melodies could be corny but in their hands they aren't. The melody is one it seems like you have always heard before [and probably have!) but in Booker's hands it is peerless. The delicacy of the runs and trills are just plain spellbindingly beautiful.
and man can that boy play the piano . . . . . . . . and as Dr John hisself said "The best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced."
